One Dead, One Injured In Diving Accident South Of Pensacola Beach

June 21, 2020

One man is dead another injured after a diving incident south of Pensacola Beach on Saturday.

One 28-year-old male was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, and one 48-year-old male was pronounced deceased by a local coroner.
Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report Saturday at about 8:30 a.m. of a diving incident approximately 12 nautical miles southwest of Pensacola Beach.

After reportedly ascending too quickly during a dive, the 48-year-old male went into cardiac arrest and failed to resurface. The 28-year-old diver went into the water and found him unconscious at the bottom. Upon resurfacing with the unconscious diver, the 28-year-old diver also began experiencing symptoms requiring medical attention.

Coast Guard Station Pensacola’s 45-foot rescue boat responded to the divers’ location. The crew embarked both divers and took them to Pensacola Pier. The 48-year-old was pronounced deceased, and the 28-year-old male was transferred via LifeFlight to Springhill Medical Center in Mobile in stable condition.

File photo.

Comments

14 Responses to “One Dead, One Injured In Diving Accident South Of Pensacola Beach”

  1. Deloris Beavers on August 23rd, 2020 5:28 pm

    Please accept my condolences. Praying for Joe’s Family. I worked with Joe for many years at Tulsa P&DC. I can see him riding that CanAm with Christmas lights on It- blasting music. He will always be remembered. RIP Joe.

  2. Capt. Haas on July 20th, 2020 7:40 am

    What wreck or dive site were they on? Sorry for your loss.

  3. Roger Eaton on June 30th, 2020 7:06 pm

    Joe was my neighbor here in Oklahoma. Sad to here the news. He was a great guy. Always seen him on his Can am….rip Joe

  4. Raghu Menon on June 30th, 2020 5:02 pm

    Lindsey Hampton – our deep condolences for your loss. Those are very nice words from you regarding your father’s experience and responsible approach to everything..

  5. Mamerto Ortega on June 22nd, 2020 11:49 pm

    So sorry for your loss. Althoug the case of your father something to ponder, as there must be a reasoned behind it considering his uncontroled ascent to surface.and the question is “why” on my openion it is not a cardiac arrest as the u.s. coast guard statement. Knowing that he is an experince scuba diver and certified maybe.as a recreational sports scuba diver he should be fit to dive and without pre existing disease.thats what diver should be. in his case it is difficult to believe of what is realy happining down there..we should know in a first hand regarding his dive profile.in such a way we can evaluate his problem of why he ascent to fast which is too dangerous by doing it. Only those diver got panic underwater commonly doing it that lead some of them to death while on surface due to Artirial Gas Embolism AGE. most of it has a burst lungs and bloody while on surface. Hopefully for sure it not a cardiac arrest…while the other diver emeciately treated to the nearest recompression chamber for possible decompression sickness. DCS. and should be treated within 24 hours.

  6. DG on June 22nd, 2020 11:30 pm

    Rufus Lowgun – the first rule if rescue diving is don’t become a victim yourself. Glad he was able to bring him up, but do it safely.

  7. Joyce c Tomlinson on June 22nd, 2020 12:58 pm

    So sorry for your loss.

  8. Lindsey Hampton on June 22nd, 2020 9:49 am

    The diver was my father. A very experienced diver for over 20 years. He had the upmost respect for diving and took every precaution he could. He wouldn’t let us kids get certified until he knew we could pass the test with no issues. He knew the ins and outs of diving and knew exactly what he was doing.

  9. Tarek Samir on June 22nd, 2020 9:23 am

    My condolences for the diver’s family but as the article express the cause of death mostly HA and nothing else.

  10. Carlos E McGugin on June 21st, 2020 9:55 pm

    If you ascend, come up, too fast you could get the Bends, which is Decompression sickness. It seldom does, but it can kill you, if you do not seek treatment. But it takes some time for it to do so. You don’t die coming up nor usually even shortly there after. Most times, you can be transported to the nearest hyperbaric chamber for treatment. Perhaps the the U.S. Coast Guard erred in their assumption.

  11. William Reynolds on June 21st, 2020 2:09 pm

    “. He did not die from ascending to fast as the article reads. ”

    That wording is directly from the U.S. Coast Guard

  12. Monica Pierce on June 21st, 2020 1:53 pm

    I know the man who passed away and he was a very experienced diver for well over 20 years. He did not die from ascending to fast as the article reads. He had a heart attack. When it come to the ocean he had the up most respect. He was always cautious. He moved to Fl a few years ago so he could live his life out scuba diving. We are blessed his friend was with him and helped him get his body to bring home to family.

  13. JTV on June 21st, 2020 7:53 am

    Sad

  14. Rufus Lowgun on June 21st, 2020 7:49 am

    The 28 year old diver is most likely the divemaster. Brave work bringing up the other diver without making his safety stop, knowing he’d get bent by doing so.